The Book of Dreams

by O. R. Melling

  “Greetings, Light-Bearer’s Daughter. We are well met. Late is the hour that I come to thee, yet I would place my sword at thy command if thou wilt receive it.”

  Dana bowed her head in turn. She had spent enough time in Faerie to know the protocol.

  “I am more than honored to be served by a High King. Let it always be the time of your own choosing, Sire.”

  “No more a High King,” Finvarra said with a wry shake of his head, “but a mortal who is prepared to die in your cause.”

  “Once a king in Faerie,” Dana said quietly, “always a king.”

  “We must go,” said Findabhair, looking around.

  “To Magh Croí Mor,” Finvarra said, nodding. “The Plain of the Great Heart.”

  As they stepped through the iron gates of the graveyard, Dee sang under her breath.

  Gloomy gloomy was the night

  And eerie was the way …

  “Would you stop with the Tam Lin already,” Yvonne hissed.

  “I love that song. Besides, it’s very appropriate. Music heightens the atmosphere in an action scene.”

  “This is not a movie!”

  Seconds later, the two stopped dead in their tracks.

  The cemetery was gone.

  In the twilight of the Eve of All Hallows, in the crossing of time and the collision of worlds, Magh Croí Mor, the Plain of the Great Heart, had descended upon the site. An immense level plain of moonlit grass, it was surrounded on all sides by primeval forest. A bluish mist whispered over the ground. Yet it wasn’t the plain itself that shocked them, but the sight of the great megalith that brooded there.

  Stone upon stone it stood, a massive dolmen, two colossal standing stones with a giant capstone overhead. Stark and silent, it arched against the sky, dwarfing the muted shapes and shadows around it. Though fashioned of granite, it gleamed with a dark metallic sheen that reinforced the impression that it was a gigantic gateway.

  “It looks so near,” Dana said softly. “A quick run across the field.”

  “Before this night is done,” Finvarra said gravely, “this space will be a battlefield. Come. We must join our friends before we are joined by our enemies.”

  They hurried into the ancient woods that bordered the plain. When they arrived at the rath of the Creemore fairies, Dana found it utterly changed. No longer a secluded clearing, it was the stronghold of an army.

  Stretching away into the distance, crowding the great forest, were tents and leafy shelters on the ground and in the trees. Stores of arms were piled in gleaming heaps of swords, spears, shields, and axes. A great assembly had gathered there, with more troops arriving every minute. Heralds rushed from tent to tent. Parleys were called and meetings held, as the various leaders debated the battle plan.

  • • •

  Findabhair let out a cry when she spotted Gwen outside a pavilion. The cousins ran to greet each other with tearful hugs.

  “I was so afraid you were dead!” Findabhair said. “I only heard the good news a short while ago.”

  “I’m over the moon you’ve come,” Gwen cried. “What do you think of the fairies? Here all the time and we never knew!”

  “Finvarra did,” said her cousin. “Of course they all disappeared over a century ago and he had completely forgotten about them. Why is it that fairies are always going missing and no one seems to notice?”

  “They’re not like us,” Gwen sighed.

  “Tell me about it,” said Findabhair, her eyebrows raised. Then she added warmly, “And I was glad to hear Dara and the others are well too. I only wish they could be here.”

  Gwen agreed heartily. “We could do with the Company of Seven right now.”

  • • •

  Even as the cousins chatted, another reunion was taking place. The fairies of Clan Creemore were clustered around Finvarra, kissing his hand and murmuring their affection. As more of the troops caught sight of him, they swelled the throng. The last time all of them had been in Faerie, he was their High King.

  Daisy Greenleaf threw her arms around him.

  “Sire, your people are overjoyed to see you again!”

  As the warmth of their welcome touched Finvarra’s heart, the bitter years of his exile fell away like withered leaves.

  “I am no longer your king, dear hearts,” he told them gently. “No longer immortal.”

  “Whatever you be, our regard for you will never lessen,” said Daisy. “We got the story from Gwen,” she added with a grin. “It’s a good one. Losing all for love—of that we approve!”

  Finvarra let out a laugh. “Ever the romantic, dear Daisy. Are you still with that mad Midsummer Moon?”

  “He’s called ‘Stanley Moon’ now. Some of the others have changed their names too. In keeping with the new land. And, yes, we’re still a couple. He still makes me laugh.”

  Finvarra grinned. “That’s two millennia now? And your own troop as well, I see. Well done. You’ve kept the fairy faith.”

  Daisy shook her head. “I share the captaincy with Alf Branch, the one you knew as Craoibhín Ruadh. We got voted in. It’s called democracy.”

  • • •

  Hovering on the sidelines, Yvonne and Dee were drinking in the scene with wide-eyed enchantment. It was as if every fantasy they had ever read had come to life around them! At the same time, they felt a little awkward and out of place.

  Till the clans of British Columbia arrived.

  The B.C. fairies were huge, the same height as the great trees in which they dwelled – the giant red cedar, Douglas fir, and western hemlock. Beside them strode their furry neighbors, the Sasquatch Nation. All shyness cast aside, the Bigfoot were armed to the teeth and fearsome.

  “Hey, it’s our heroes!” Dee said suddenly.

  There in the troop from the West were the two young men who had come to their aid in Vancouver. No longer clad in T-shirts and denim, they wore hide leggings and forest-green cloaks. Swords fell at their sides, quivers of arrows hung at their backs, and they carried tall bows slung over their shoulders. At first they appeared gigantic, but as they entered the camp, they diminished to human size.

  Dee and Yvonne wasted no time in running to greet them.

  “We are met again, fair maiden,” said the one who liked Dee. His dark eyes flashed as he bowed to kiss her hand.

  Yvonne snorted. “Maiden?”

  But now his companion bowed to her and kissed her hand also.

  “I am Andariel. He is Tomariel, my brother. There is surely joy in battle when it brings such beauties to our side.”

  “Za za zoom,” said Dee.

  “Are you kin to us?” asked Tomariel, glancing at their wings with surprise.

  “Nope. Just queens for a day,” Yvonne said ruefully.

  “Pumpkins the rest of the time,” Dee said with a little sigh.

  The two fairy-men looked baffled.

  “Fully human and fully alive,” Yvonne confessed.

  They expected their heroes to be disappointed, but the brothers exchanged grins of delight.

  “It has been long since we made merry with mortal women,” said Andariel.

  “We used to have great sport and play,” his brother agreed.

  “We’re into sport,” said Dee, brightening.

  “And play,” Yvonne added.

  • • •

  As her aunts dallied with their admirers, Dana was also being reunited with someone she knew. She had recognized the beat of the big skin drums long before Trew marched into sight, leading a battalion of trolls. How different they looked now that she knew they were allies! Where they had appeared alien and horrifying in the dark tunnels, here they seemed simply big and pastywhite; friendly soldiers tramping to join her cause.

  Trew was dismissing his troops when she joined him.

  “Build yourselves hootchies, boys,” he commanded. “Use good strong branches and braid them with plenty of leaves, in case it rains. I’ll go get the chocolate.”

  The pale faces of the trolls lit up a
nd they let out a cheer. All were kitted out in TTC uniforms with great axes and spears gripped in each hand. Trew himself was uncharacteristically somber in the gray jacket of an inspector, but he wore his peaked cap at a jaunty angle and still sported his shades.

  “You’re the King of the Trolls!” Dana said. “And you didn’t even tell me!”

  “Means nothin’ in the subways,” he said with a laugh. “Half the time they don’t remember. But as long as they get plenty of chocolate, they’ll do what I say. Who’s the quartermaster round here? The one who provides the grub?”

  “Daisy Greenleaf is the one you want,” she said, pointing out the Creemore captain.

  “See you in a tick,” Trew said, tipping his cap, “after I get these boys settled.”

  The ground trembled underfoot as a corps of giants arrived, led by Fingal.

  “There you be, little one!” he roared happily. Reaching down, he scooped Dana into his palm. “Where’s the boyfriend?”

  The big smile died on his face when she told him.

  “Oh, that’s bad,” he boomed, scratching his bald head with concern. “But we’ll get him back for ye, hen. Just see if we don’t!”

  As more and more troops and clans arrived, the ache in Dana’s heart increased to anguish. Despite the hilarity and excitement, she couldn’t ignore the truth. Many of these would die before the night was through.

  For as surely as forces gathered to defend the Land of Dreams, so too another army was massing. On the far side of the plain, a gloom hung over the ragged treetops. A sickly vapor seeped from the ground. Through the air came strange cries and moans, shrieks and growls. The wind carried a foul stench in its wake. There on the opposite side of Magh Croí Mor were the allies of her enemy, those who stood with him against life and light.

  In the center of the plain was the prize to be won: the great portal. It stood alone and shining at the heart of the battlefield.

  • • •

  Dana was called to the pavilion where the leaders were holding their Council of War. Dee and Yvonne followed her in. There was a long table spread with a feast, but the food was untouched and the goblets of wine remained full. Everyone was standing, their faces stern and grave. Gwen and Laurel were there beside Finvarra and Findabhair.

  Daisy Greenleaf told Dana the battle plan.

  “There is no need for complicated stratagems or tactics. The plan is simple. The army is here for one purpose only: to hold back the tide while you go forward to reach the portal. Step by step, inch by inch, you must make your way toward it, even if that means climbing over us, injured or dead. You are the key. Only you can open the door. You must not be distracted by what happens around you. We have come this day to defend our dreams. We gladly offer our lives for the sake of the cause. And even as we play our part, so must you.”

  Weighed down by the thought of what lay ahead, Dana couldn’t speak. She simply bowed her head to show her agreement.

  “Wait a minute,” said Yvonne. “You mean you guys can be harmed? What about your magic? Your immortality?”

  Alf Branch waved in the direction of the enemy forces.

  “They’re immortal, too, and they’ve got their own magics. Truth is, we can maim and kill each other … and we will.”

  Both aunts paled. They were just beginning to realize the true nature of the situation. This was no adventure fantasy or exciting daydream. This was real and dangerous. If the fairies could be hurt or killed, then horrible things could happen to them also. Each faced the stark fact that they might die that night.

  They looked at their niece with sudden regret.

  “We should have stopped you from coming,” said Yvonne.

  “We were being selfish,” Dee agreed. “Chasing the fun as usual and hang the consequences.”

  “You couldn’t’ve stopped me, even if you tried,” Dana said quietly. “This is my destiny. But you shouldn’t be here. You’ve got to leave now. Both of you. Before the battle starts.”

  There were murmurs of agreement around the table.

  Yvonne reacted first, speaking directly to her niece. “You think we’re going to desert you like two big cowards? Not a chance.”

  “We’re the fairy’s godmothers,” Dee declared to the assembly. “We stick by her. And don’t try whisking us away. We’ve got wings till midnight. We’ll come back.” She surveyed her silken body suit with a grimace. “I just wish I had my boots.”

  In the blink of an eye they were there on her feet: her heavy black boots with the steel plates on the toes. The ones that made her feel safe when she walked home late at night, and had done her proud against Crowley in Vancouver. Scuffed and battered, they were an interesting contrast to the shimmering fabric of her fairy clothes.

  “I like it,” she said, turning her heels to admire the look.

  “Be careful what you wish for,” Gwen said quickly. “Everything is awry around the fairies. Reality is fluid. Anything can happen.”

  The aunts stiffened as they clamped down on all the wishes that suddenly clamored into their heads.

  “Johnny Depp begone,” Yvonne muttered.

  “You are not warriors,” Alf Branch spoke up. “Nor have you any powers or abilities.”

  “Hey, we fought the Headless Horseman,” Dee argued.

  “And Crowley before that,” Yvonne pointed out. Then she added in a firm tone, “Look, we don’t have powers or abilities, but we’ve got courage. Not the fearless kind—we’re both afraid, very afraid—but the kind that feels the fear and does it anyway. No matter what you say, we won’t abandon our niece.”

  Findabhair smiled with approval at the two aunts. So too did Gwen and Laurel.

  “The Companions of Faerie are mortal,” Laurel spoke up suddenly. “And we have no special abilities. If they choose to stay, I say let them.”

  “I’d be proud to fight by their side,” Gwen agreed. She turned to the fairy leaders. “Humans have always rescued Fairyland. It’s our mission. Our duty. And it’s our battle too. All our hopes and dreams are linked to Faerie. This very day, across the ocean, four Companions will add their strength to ours. I only wish that they were here. Together, a Company of Seven can wield great power. Still, if we—”

  “Excuse me,” Yvonne interrupted, putting up her hand. “Sorry to butt in but, while I realize we don’t know a lot about this stuff, I can sure count. It seems to me there are seven of us already. Seven mortals, I mean. Am I right or am I right?”

  A shiver ran through the company as the head count was made.

  Dana. Gwen. Laurel. Findabhair. Finvarra. Yvonne. Deirdre.

  Seven.

  Finvarra’s voice rose with excitement. “She will not cross the plain alone. Six of us will make a queen’s guard and the seventh herself to march at the center: the Light who is the key to the portal.”

  Gwen’s voice rang out with new authority. The leader of the first Company of Seven, she spoke the words to bless their fellowship.

  “Seven were the days of Genesis. Seven are the pillars of life. Seven will be the fires of the Apocalypse. No better number can ride the storm. As a Company of Seven we will forge our destiny.”

  It was at that moment that Gaelyn Tree-Top entered the tent with a face like thunder.

  “It has begun.”

  “Behold a tempest raged upon the earth and throughout the heavens. All elements, visible and invisible, and every creature seen and unseen, were provoked into a murderous frenzy. Earth, air, fire, and water clashed together, broke open, erupted. Lightning flashed across the sky. Thunderous explosions wreaked death and destruction. Mountains collapsed, forests burned, seas boiled. The air was choked with noisome gases.

  • • •

  In the murk of twilight, the Battle for Magh Croí Mor unfolded. Grotesque hordes, monstrous and terrifying, poured from the dark forest and onto the plain. They carried flaming torches or spat fire themselves. Some moved with slow and mindless purpose. Others darted here and there with swift malevolence. There were ma
ny Dana recognized, denizens from the dark side of Faerie, known to the Scottish, Welsh, and Irish. These creatures, too, had migrated across the sea to infest the New World. The Redcaps were a cruel clan of brutal goblins who normally lived in the ruins of old castles. Their name referred to the habit of bathing their caps in the blood of their victims. Small and swarthy, they came with all their kith and kin: Redcombs, Bloody Caps, Dunters, and Powries. Above them flew the wraiths of the Unseelie Court, night shades of evil that inhabited the air. A pestilence, an ill wind that blew no good, they added their screeches to those of the green ghastly Banshees. Shoulder to shoulder by a fangtoothed Black Annis tramped the West Coast behemoth called D’Sonoqua. Both cannibal, both ravenous, they had come to feed on the living and the dead. Swarms of hags and specters, gargoyles and demons marched alongside them. And there were even more nightmarish beings whom Dana had never seen nor heard of. With a sinking heart, she realized what they were. Les esprits du mal of whom Grandfather spoke: the dark spirits that plagued the First Peoples of the land. Her enemy had allies in every part of the world.

  There were voices and thunderings and lightnings and an earthquake. There followed hail and fire mingled with blood. The third part of the trees was burnt up and the green grass was ashen. A great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea and the third part of the sea turned to vapor. An angel flying across the firmament cried out with terrible voice—Woe! Woe! Woe to all!

  Now the dark ones were met on the battlefield by an army of light; all those who had come to fight the cause of hopes and dreams. In the first onslaught of the conflict, in the first charge and engagement, it seemed the two sides were evenly matched. Neither side made headway either forward or back. The initial clash was a draw.

  The battle raged on.

  Dana surveyed the scene with quiet dread. Where was Crowley? The leader of the enemy was strangely absent from the field. What deception was this? What terrible weapon or secret would be revealed?

  The Company of Seven gathered together. Dana stood in the center of the phalanx of her guard. On her right and slightly ahead of her stood Gwen. No longer the plump and pleasant Ms. Woods, she was armed and armored like a warrior-queen. Years had passed since she fought the Great Worm as Captain of the first Company of Seven, but the old courage shone in her face. As it was then, so was it now, she was ready to fight for the Land of Dreams.